Pembroke resident provides impetus for battling drug abuse

PEMBROKE -- For the past several months, Mike Cogburn has been trying to combat the drug problem facing Pembroke and the South Shore. Now he’s looking for help.

“It’s a sign of the times; everyone has been through something,” the Pembroke resident said. “I’ve been working on it for the last three or four months.”

Cogburn said he realized that Pembroke’s DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program wasn’t active, and when he looked into it, he found out its funding had stopped eight years ago. Cogburn said he started trying to determine how to get the program back up and running, but he has since widened his scope.

“I’m just trying to figure out how to make a difference,” he said. “I want to influence the town to do something.” Cogburn decided to form an anti-drug coalition. Although it doesn’t have an official name, he has referred to the group as Pembroke Titans Against Drugs. He handled much of the original work: developing ideas, creating a timeline for activity, and discussing how to proceed with the state Department of Public Health and state Rep. Josh Cutler, D-Duxbury.

Selectmen voted to make the coalition an official town committee June 16.

Cogburn said the group will be led by a steering committee, and although there isn’t a set number of members yet, he expects roughly 10 to 15.

“I want people on the steering committee to come from the police, fire, from town government positions like the board of health and selectmen, from the school system and others,” he said.

Cogburn said some of the committee members could be citizens, volunteers and maybe even recent graduates. Now that the group is officially recognized by the town, it is up to the selectmen to appoint people to it, he said. He hopes the steering committee is full by the middle of the month.

“Drug abuse addiction is an insidious scourge no community is immune from,” Cogburn said. “I’m glad there are people out there willing to step up.”

He said there are three parts to the plan: to get in the schools and provide formal education to children at all grade levels; to promote healthy decisions, lifestyles and relationships; and to be there for families and caregivers who are dealing with the stress and challenges of having an addicted loved one.

Ultimately, Cogburn said, he wants to establish Pembroke as a drug-free community – a state designation that can come with funding. Although Cogburn said the distinction is probably a few years away, it is part of a larger plan.

And his plan is large.

Cogburn has steps planned for the group until 2036. That way, he said, there will never be a period in which the effort becomes stagnant. He said one of the most important things to remember is to keep going.

“If we don’t have people actively doing it, it’s worthless,” he said.

To learn more about the group, or to volunteer, visit the Pembroke Titans Against Drugs Facebook page, or email PembrokeTAD@gmail.com.

Mark Burridge can be reached by email at mburridge@wickedlocal.com. Follow Pembroke news on Twitter @PembrokeNews.